


The Return

by XxDaughterOfTheNilexX



Series: Sister Saga [2]
Category: The Mummy (1999), The Mummy Returns (2001)
Genre: Action/Adventure, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-13
Updated: 2018-02-10
Packaged: 2018-07-14 18:01:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 12,080
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7184369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/XxDaughterOfTheNilexX/pseuds/XxDaughterOfTheNilexX
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Aaliyah Massari returns in this next installment; right in time for the next arising of Imhotep. What lies in store for this Medjai girl and her brother? And will she finally get to settle down with the one she loves? Read and find out. Sequel to Sister; this is book two of the Sister Saga.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

It's been almost 9 years since the events of what happened at Hamunaptra, and I am now 32, almost 33 years old. Life has thrown me a curveball in life after what had happened. For one, my mother died a couple years ago, and that had been hard, but I knew she was happier wherever she was; in a better place. She had gotten sick and she was just ready to go, I knew she missed my father, and she wanted to be with him. It was a hard thing adjusting to living on my own, but I had my cat and that made things a lot easier.

I've barely kept in touch with Ardeth, I understood how busy he could get and I was often busy myself, but I've heard from him once or twice a year, if even that, it was hard, I found myself missing him every now and then—okay, a lot—but I busied myself to take my mind off of him. While I still lived in Egypt a majority of the time, I divided my time between Cairo and my brother's and Evy's place in London.

My nephew, Alex, was a very… energetic child and he was most certainly kept my brother and my sister-in-law on their toes. I find it amusing, because on one hand, he was so much like Rick and on the other hand, he was like Evy too. Allah did have a sense of humor when he gave them Alex.

Alex, bless his little heart was too clever for his own good; he was the cleverest child that I had ever seen. They often sent him to me whenever they needed a break, Allah forbid that they send him to Jonathan. Alex listens to me okay, but he does like to test me to see what I would let him get away with, and for the record, I didn't let him get away with much.

I was currently here in London, keeping an eye on the house—and Jonathan—for Rick and Evy while they and Alex was on a little adventure to find some kind of bracelet I think she said.

They would be back tomorrow afternoon, and it was getting late and I decided to go to bed. I headed upstairs to the guest room and laid down, and it wasn't long before I entered the dream world, but it felt more like I had been through this before.

_"Masika!" Masika looked up at the sound of her name, and was horrified to see two of the pharaoh's bodyguards brining in another warrior, gravely injured. Masika normally patched up any of them if they were injured. While she had no royal title, she was still to be protected. She was the daughter of the head of the guard, as well as being related to the royal family on her father's side, as the late queen and her brother were first cousins._

_This injured warrior just so happened to be her husband. "Masika?" One of them questioned, which shook her back to reality._

_She shook her head. "Just…. just set him down over there." She instructed. They nodded and did so. "What happened?" She asked._

_"Battle; he got the most of it though. We have to head back out." One of them, she remembered as Akil said._

_She nodded and went back to Bomani. He had knife wounds all over his chest, abdomen and a few on his arms. Masika was very surprised that he hadn't yet died from a loss of blood, but to her relief, he was breathing, no doubt very weak however._

_"Bomani?" Her voice was very soft, and she tried to keep the fear out of her voice._

_His eyes flickered open very slowly. "Masika." He murmured, his voice sounding very weak._

_She put some cloth over some of the larger wounds that were still bleeding. "You'll be fine, I know you will, you just have to hang on." She wasn't sure who she was trying to convince more, him or herself. But she was determined, she wouldn't let him die, he just couldn't._

_She applied the pressure and thankfully, all the bleeding had stopped and she worked to patch him up, and prevent the wounds from catching an infection. By now, he was pretty much passed out and she couldn't help it, she couldn't help the tears that had fell, as she ran a hand through his hair, sitting next to him. "Please don't die on me." She whispered, there was no way to tell if he would make it until he woke up._

I woke up in a panic, and I had to sit up and try to calm my breathing. I looked at the time, which read 3:00 A.M. it was still dark outside. I sighed and let my head fall back against the pillow. Why did I keep having these dreams? And most importantly, why did I look like Masika and why did Ardeth look like Bomani?


	2. Chapter Two

I didn't get up again until 8 A.M. and dressed in some black fitting trousers that tucked quite well in my boots and a long sleeved dark gray shirt. I let my long black curls fall down my back, for once. Rick and them were supposed to come back today, but I wasn't expecting them for another few hours, but knowing Evy, she would want to go somewhere else when she got back home. I am very surprised that they even decided to settle in London in the first place.

"Jonathan!" I called, as I headed down the stairs, just to see if he was home, which he wasn't, instead, I found a note saying that he was at a poker game. "Figures." I muttered.

I was sitting in the parlor, on a couch, reading a book when they arrived back that night. "Aaliyah." Rick greeted me as he and Evy came through, debating about some kind of new adventure that Evy wanted to go on.

"Aunt Ali!" Alex greeted me as he carried a chest.

"Mom! What do I do with this chest?" He called up to her. "This sucker weighs a goddang ton."

"Alex, watch your language!" She scolded him. I hid my amused expression behind the book.

"Rather weighty this." My nephew corrected himself. I heard the thud as he sat it on a table and I went back to reading.

I looked up upon hearing Evy's voice as she looked at Alex. "Happy to be home?"

"Couldn't be happier."

"It's the year of the scorpion." She handed Alex a book.

"Neat."

"Thought you might like that." She said. Then she looked at me. "Things have been okay around here? Has Jonathan behaved?"

I shrugged, putting the book down. "It's been quiet, nothing's really gone on." Then I sighed. "And you know Jonathan, when does he ever behave?" I asked her.

She nodded. "Got a point there." She turned back to look at Alex. "Where's the key?"

"I don't know." He shrugged.

She sighed and started going through his pockets. "Alex, I'm serious, if you've lost that key, you're grounded."

"I haven't lost it. I just can't find it. There's a difference." He looked over at me, expecting me to say something or to agree with him.

"Oh-ho. No, you're not bringing me into this." I warned the kid.

"Well, you'd better start finding it then."

"I will mom. There's nothing to worry about." He said, and I heard a noise, and I could sense that it wasn't my brother or Jonathan.

"Evy." I warned, standing up now. I couldn't help my hand going down to rest around the handle of my sword that was on my hip out of instinct. I had a bad feeling about this.

Evy looked at me curiously, before looking to where I had my eyes fixated on.

"Good evening." A tall dark skinned man said, he was dressed in all red, including a red headdress to match.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?"

"I'm looking for the chest of course." He said, sending my nephew a pretty mean look. Alex grabbed it. "Give it to me now."

Evy walked over to a wall and grabbed a short sword off the wall. "Get out of my house."

"Woah, Mom. Maybe not the best idea."

"Alex, get back there." I reached out and grabbed my nephew and pushed him behind me. I drew my sword as more men came to join the first one. This wasn't good. This wasn't good at all.

"Definitely not the best idea."

"Alex." I scolded him.

"I think it's time to yell for dad now." He ignored me, as he inched closer behind me.

"Now I will kill you and take it anyway."

"I think not." A new voice said, but I immediately knew who that voice belonged to. We all turned to see Ardeth walking in, and the other men drew their swords.

"Ardeth." Evy and I both said.

"What are you doing here?" She asked.

He looked at us both. "Perhaps explanations are best kept for later."

"Ardeth Bay." The first man said.

"Lock-Nah." Ardeth said.

Lock-Nah spoke in Arabic, and of course, Arabic being among my first two languages, I knew that he had ordered his men to attack.

Ardeth shed the fabric off his shoulders and got his sword out in the same second and Evy did a flip, knocking several of them in the face with her feet. I got Alex in a corner and fought off the ones that were trying to come for Alex.

Two of them came at once and I used my sword to knock their weapons out of their hands and then ducked, using my feet to knock them both down to the ground.

Alex stared at me. "What?" I asked.

"How'd you learn to do that?" He asked.

I shrugged as I fought off another one. "My father taught me."

I saw Evy over there holding her own pretty well, she was actually really good with that thing. Alex asked the question that I was wondering.

"Whoa, Mom! When did you learn to do that?"

"I have no idea." She said, as another red cloaked guy went to her and put his hands around his neck. I kind of couldn't help her out because I was too busy fighting off another one. Where the hell did they all keep coming from. She made a move to fight him off, which included kneeing him in the groin, I nodded, I was impressed. "That I learned from your father."

I pushed a guy in the stomach with my foot and he went tumbling back into the couch. "Now who the hell _are_ these guys?" I wondered.

I looked over to see how Ardeth was faring, though I knew he could hold his own. He was doing pretty good. I looked back over at Alex to see one grab the chest. "Let go!" He said, but the man pulled harder and Alex went swinging, into me, and I managed to catch him before he fell onto the floor.

"Thanks aunt Ali." He murmured, getting settled back on his feet. I put Alex back into his corner and went to help out Evy.

"What's in the chest?" Ardeth asked as he went to face Lock-Nah, who had joined in on the fight.

"The bracelet of Anubis!" She called back.

_Oh wonderful_ , I thought, as I kicked back another man.

"They must not get the bracelet!" Ardeth called back. "Get it and get out of here!"

I saw Alex push a bookshelf over another guy who was trying to get his weapon. Well, Alex was most certainly an O'Connell alright.

Evy grabbed the chest right as one of the men came after her, but I managed to distract him so she could get away.

"Mom, look out!" I heard Alex call out and I looked over to see what he was hollering about, and managed to duck just in time as the man I had been fighting swung his weapon, but he lost his footing and fell when I did that.

"Evy!" A man had knocked her out and took her out of the room while another grabbed the chest.

"Mom!" Alex called again and attempted to go after them, but I managed to grab my nephew in time.

"Oh no you don't." I told him.

"But Mom." He looked at where she had gone.

"I know Alex." I sighed. "I know."

We looked in the door way to see where Lock-Nah threw something at Ardeth, but thankfully it only embedded itself in the wall next to his head.

"Aaliyah." I turned at the sound of my name; over at Ardeth. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." I steadied my breathing. "Just peachy." My arms were just a little sore. I hadn't practiced with my sword in so long, my arm was out of shape, but I still knew how to use it. I let my nephew go and returned my sword to its rightful place. I noticed him holding his shoulder.

He nodded. "Fine." He said as I approached him.

"Let me see." I said gently and he eventually nodded, giving in, allowing me to get him patched up. It was a small cut, barely bleeding, but it was one of those that could easily get infected if he wasn't careful. I looked back over at Alex. "Alex, get me my bag please." I said, and he nodded, bringing it to me moments later.

I still kept medical gauze and all with me wherever I went, because you could never know when you could have a scene like what just happened in this family. It didn't take no time to get him patched up. I stood back up and held out an arm to help him up.

"Thanks." He said, standing.

"It's good to see you." I said as he hugged me.

"Only wish it was under better circumstances." He replied, kissing my forehead.

I heard Alex make a sound and I looked him as he turned his head, muttering something under his breath. I rolled my eyes. "Alright, let's go find Rick." I sighed. "Come on Alex."


	3. Chapter Three

We heard gunfire and knew that they hadn't left quite yet. Ardeth and I exchanged glances and I pulled Alex closer to me and we ran out the door in time to see the cars driving away and the sound of more gunfire.

We quickly spotted Rick and Jonathan and ran over to them, Alex running up ahead. "Dad! Dad!"

"Are you alright?" He asked, picking up his son.

"Yeah."

"Yeah? Okay." He looked over at me as he put Alex back down. "You?"

I nodded.

"O'Connell." Ardeth greeted.

I sighed and rolled my eyes as Rick, being Rick, pinned Ardeth to the post. "What are you doing here? No, scratch that. I don't care." He let him go. "Who are those guys?" Where are they taking my wife?"

Ardeth placed his hands on Rick's shoulders. "My friend, I'm not sure." He let go, and pulled out a photograph. "But wherever this man is, your wife will surely be."

Alex grabbed it and we all looked at him. "Hey, I know him." He said. "He's the curator. He works at the British Museum."

"Are you sure?"

"Believe him. He spends more time there than at home." He led Alex towards the car. Ardeth touched my shoulder and we and Jonathan ran after them.

"You're here, the bad guys are here, Evy's been kidnapped. Let me guess." Rick said. I had a bad feeling about the answer.

"Yes, they once again removed the creature from his grave."

I groaned a bit. "I was afraid you'd say that." I sighed.

"I don't mean to point fingers," Jonathan started. "But isn't it your job to make sure that doesn't happen?"

I rolled my eyes at my cousin and jabbed him in the ribs with my elbow, and ignored the look he gave me.

"That woman who was with him, she knows things that no living person could possibly know." He looked at Rick. "She knew exactly where the creature was buried." He looked straight ahead. "We were hoping that she would lead us to the bracelet. She obviously did. And now they have it." By now, we had reached the car.

"I wouldn't get too nervous just yet." Alex said, and I narrowed my eyes. What had that kid done now?

"Alex, what did you do?"

He held up his arm and pulled his sleeve up. My eyes widened. When had he done that? Ardeth touched it with his hands.

"Is that gold?" Jonathan asked, and I hit him in his head, not paying any attention to whatever look that he may have given me.

"When I stuck it on, I saw the pyramids at Giza." Alex said. "Then whoosh! Straight across the desert to Karnak."

"By putting this on, you have started a chain reaction that could bring the next apocalypse." Ardeth said, looking right at him. And Alex gasped.

Rick did not look amused. He pointed at Ardeth. "You, lighten up." Then at Alex. "You, big trouble." Then at Jonathan and me. "You two, get in the car." He opened Alex's door and steered him in. We all got in, Jonathan behind Ardeth, me behind Rick and Alex in the middle.

"I am sorry if I alarmed your son, but you must understand, now that the bracelet is on his wrist, we only have seven days before the Scorpion King awakens." Ardeth said.

"We? What we?" Rick looked flabbergasted.

"If he is not killed, he will raise the army of Anubis."

"I take it that's not a good thing." Jonathan leaned forward.

"Oh, he'll wipe out the world." Rick said.

"Obviously." I shook my head. This wasn't good at all.

"The old wipe out the world ploy." He sat back, an unhappy look.

"Whomever can kill the Scorpion King can send his army back to the Underworld or use it to destroy mankind and rule the Earth." Ardeth said.

"No wonder why they dug up Imhotep." I muttered. "They think he's the only one could take out the Scorpion king?" I asked.

"That is their plan." Ardeth nodded.

"Wonderful."

We finally reached the museum, and of course, it had to be storming.

"Alex." Rick turned back to look at him. "I've got a big job for you. Stay here and protect the car."

"I can do that." Jonathan spoke up.

"Protect the car?" My nephew didn't look amused. "Just because I'm a kid doesn't mean I'm stupid."

Rick ruffled his hair. "I know."

"Dad!"

"If you see anyone come out screaming, it's just me." Jonathan muttered.

"Maybe you should just stay here and watch him." Rick looked at him.

"Yes, now you're talking."

Rick shook his head. "Come on Aaliyah."

I nodded, getting out and shut the door. Now, my father may have taught me how to use a sword, daggers and the basic defense moves, my brother taught me how to shoot a gun. I prefer archery or a crossbow, but I will use a gun if necessary.

Rick opened up the trunk which he had several guns shoved into. "You want the shotgun?" Rick asked Ardeth, as he handed over the crossbow to me.

"No, I prefer the Thompson." He said, and the started to get the stuff together, while I made sure I had everything for the crossbow.

"If I were to say to you, I'm a stranger traveling from the east, seeking that which is lost…" Ardeth suddenly stated.

I knew that line all too well, I heard it a lot growing up, which meant, apparently, Ardeth had noticed the mark that was on Rick's wrist.

"Then I would reply that I am a stranger traveling from the west. It is I whom you seek." Rick said. "How…"

"Then it is true." Ardeth lifted up my brother's arm. "You have the sacred mark."

"What? That?" He shook his head. "No, that got slapped on me in an orphanage in Cairo."

"That mark means you're a protector of man, a warrior for God, a Medjai."

Rick cocked his gun. "Sorry. You got the wrong guy." He turned to walk into the museum. Ardeth looked at me, but I shrugged.

"He never gave me a straight answer when I asked him about it." I shook my head. We then went to follow him.

I followed Rick and Ardeth in the museum as the thunder rumbled. We all jumped slightly once the mummies in an exhibit started coming to life.

We followed the sounds of chanting and came upon a large room where we could see the men in red cloaks forming a circle around what I assumed to be Imhotep on their knees, bowing up and down, and I spotted Evy on a table near a fire. I nudged my brother and gestured towards her with my head.

I watched confused, as a young woman and Imhotep conversed.

"You know." Rick said. "A couple years ago, this would've seemed really strange to me." He patted Ardeth's shoulder and left us.

My eyes widened as they carried Evy over to a fire, but Rick ran over and caught her in time and Ardeth started shooting at them so Rick could get her away. We both ducked once fire started being returned.

Whenever I found the chance, I shot at a few of them with the crossbow, taking a couple down. I turned my head once I saw Evy and Rick come back up the stairs. Ardeth and I rejoined them in time to see Imhotep making a chant and bowing on ashes or whatever it was.

"Oh brother." I muttered, knowing that that's would be those mummy priests or warriors of Imhotep's.

"Time to go." I said.

"Oh no. Not these guys again." Rick said, and with that, we ran back through the museum and out the door. And Evy turned back to drag a bench in front of the door. What the hell was she doing?

"Honey, what you doing?" Rick asked, going back for her. "These guys don't use doors."

"Where the hell's Jonathan?" Rick yelled, as we ran back. Then he pulled up….. in a double decker bus, of all things.

"What's the matter with my car?" Rick asked him as Evy and I ran onto the bus, followed by Ardeth no questions asked.

"I was forced to find an alternative means of transportation." Jonathan said.

"A double-decker bus?!"

"It was his idea!" Jonathan blamed Alex as we ran on board, Evy hugging Alex.

"Was not!"

"Was too!"

"Jonathan!" I yelled to him, to make it stop.

"Just go!" Rick yelled.

"It was too!"

"Was not!"

"Both of you shut up!" I sighed, grabbing ahold of on the railings at Jonathan took off.

"No, no! Not my car!" Rick yelled as I turned back to see that a couple of the mummies had crushed his car. "Oh I hate mummies." He grumbled, and I had to agree with him.

"Glad to see me now?" Ardeth asked Rick, as I stood in the middle of the bus, getting my crossbow set back up.

"Just like old times, huh?" Was Rick's response as he climbed up the latter to the second deck. One of the mummies swung into the bus, only to be met with the Thompson that Ardeth had fired off, I looked back to see Evy still holding Alex out of danger.

One mummy knocked the gun out of Ardeth's hand, and then started swinging on the rails like a monkey bar, as he was missing the lower half of his body. I managed to knock it down via crossbow. But it was still fighting against Ardeth.

"Turn, turn, turn!" Evy ordered Jonathan, who did just that. And we all crashed sideways. The mummy slashed Ardeth's arm again. My crossbow didn't do anything to help, and I ran out of the stuff for the bow, it was now useless, but then Rick's shotgun fell onto the bus, and Evy managed to grab it and shot the mummy's head off and blew it out of the bus.

"Look out!" Alex called out to Jonathan.

"Jonathan!" I called out and he made a sharp turn, and we were headed straight for a low overhead bridge. We had to brace ourselves for the impact, but thankfully, he managed to go right through it. "I freaking hate Jonathan's driving." I muttered, taking a seat next to Ardeth. Reminded me of the time that he drove us straight through Imhotep's slaves back in Egypt.

I looked at him, knowing that he had been scratched. "You okay?" I asked, and he nodded as Rick jumped back down to the main part.

I got some cloth out of my bag to patch him up once again.

"You alright?" Rick asked as Jonathan made the bus come to a stop and as I finished up Ardeth's arm.

"This was my first bus ride." He gave him a slight smile.

I patted his shoulder. "Okay, I'm done."

He nodded, putting an arm around me and I let my forehead rest on his shoulder for a moment, we all needed to rest for a minute.

That is, until we heard Alex. "Let me go!"

"Alex!"

Before we even knew what was going on or had time to react, Rick ran after the car. The rest of us had just jumped out of our seats and out of the bus.

Rick continued to go after him, but the bridge start rising. He came back to us, defeated. I still couldn't believe that my nephew was gone. Ardeth took my hand and we went over to my brother and Evy.

"Please, do not fear for your son, my friends." He said. "They cannot hurt him, for he wears the bracelet of Anubis."

"Alex is wearing the bracelet?" Evy asked.

"When he put it on, he said he saw the pyramids at Giza, the temple at Karnak." Rick said.

"And when they reach Karnak, the bracelet will show him the next step of the journey." Ardeth said.

"Well, if we don't get to Karnak before them, we won't have any idea where to look for him next." Evy said.

"Alex is a smart kid." I told Evy, as I felt Ardeth's arm around me. I leaned into his embrace. "He's got both yours and Rick's genes, he'll be fine."

"Seems to me, we need a magic carpet." Rick said. I was afraid to ask.

 


	4. Chapter Four

_A young woman stood on the balcony watching the pharaoh’s bodyguards leave in the cool night air. The pharaoh had been dead for a couple months now, and they discovered the High Priest was going to try to raise Anuck-Su-Namum, and now they were going after him._

_A sound made her turn around and she smiled upon seeing the child. Her daughter._

_“Meskhenet, what are you doing up?”_

_The child rubbed her eyes sleepily. “Where’s papa?”_

_“Papa had to go to work, but he’ll be back very shortly.” Masika said, picking up her almost two-year-old daughter. “Come on, let’s get you back to bed.” Meskhenet didn’t complain as she let her mother carry her back._

_Masika carried Meskhenet back to her room and laid her down on her bed. “Mama, could you sing?” She asked._

_Masika smiled. “Of course.” She tucked her in and sat beside her and sung her a lullaby that her own mother used to sing to her when she was little. Before much longer, the toddler was asleep and she smiled, kissing her daughter’s forehead and then went to stand in her doorway for a few minutes._

_This little girl was the light of her parents lives, living proof of her parent’s love. Masika wasn’t sure how long she was standing there watching her daughter as she slept, but she felt two strong arms wrap around her and she instantly relaxed, leaning back, knowing who it was._

_“I know I can always find you here.” Bomani murmured, kissing her cheek before resting his chin on her shoulder. “Is she okay?”_

_“She’s perfect.” Masika replied. “It’s still hard to believe that she’s ours.”_

_Bomani gave her a gentle smile. “Come on, let’s go to bed; we’ll need our energy for tomorrow.” It was a known fact that Meskhenet was a very energetic child._

_Masika nodded and with one last look at their daughter, she allowed herself to be led to bed._

I was gently being shaken awake.  She opened her eyes to see Ardeth. “We’re just about to land in Egypt.” He told me softly.

I nodded. “Okay.” I looked over to see Rick and Jonathan starting to wake up and within 20 minutes, we arrived at the Cairo airport.

Ardeth looked at us after we walked off the plane. “I need to go back to my people, get the commanders and I’ll meet you in a few hours.” He said.

Rick nodded and gave him a location.

Ardeth looked at me. “Do you want to come along?” He asked. It would be nice to see my grandfather again, and the others, if they still remembered me, so I nodded.

“Yeah, but I want to stop by my apartment first, check on Bast and get a couple things.”

He nodded. “Of course.”

30 minutes later, I had changed into fresh clothes, my usual dark pants and boots, gray long sleeved shirt, as well as a scarf around my neck, I brushed my hair to get the knots out and had a hair tie around my wrists. I had also feed Bast and made sure she had plenty of food and water.

I packed a bag with a few extra supplies and then we were ready to go. But not before we headed to the stables so he could get a horse and I could get Abrar. He may be 26 years old, but he was still going strong. Most horses can live anywhere from 25-30 years. I have known some horses to live until their 40’s. I loved this horse, this was really the only thing that I had left of my father. My father had given Abrar to me before he died.

Abrar’s sire was my father’s stallion, and he had been my grandfather’s stallion. Basically, he came from a long line. I smiled a bit and fed him a carrot, I was aware of Ardeth’s eyes on me. “How old is he now?”

“He’s 26. I should probably start thinking about breeding him soon, before it’s too late.”

After I got Abrar saddled up, we went on our way. We stopped by the first 11 tribes first, and I stayed with Abrar until he was finished. Then we moved onto the last and smallest tribe. The one where I came from.

Once we arrived, Ardeth held the reins of Abrar until I got off. He led me to one of the tents in search to find the commander. I was quite aware of the eyes of the people on me and I could faintly hear my name and my father’s name.

We entered the tent to find just the man we were looking. Saleem Massari; my grandfather. He had taken back over command after my father’s death. He stood once we entered. “Ardeth, Aaliyah.” He gave me a quick hug, I hugged him back.

“Jadd.” I greeted, using the Arabic term for grandfather.

“I’m guessing it’s time?”

Ardeth nodded. “It is Saleem, we have to be there in a couple hours.” He said. I knew that he had gotten us here a bit earlier so I could see my grandparents. “I’ll give you a little time with Aaliyah before we leave.”

My grandfather nodded and Ardeth left the tent. “Imarah!” He called, and moments later an older looking woman came in view. My grandmother.

“Yes, what is it Sale-“ She started, but then caught sight of me. “Oh, Aaliyah, it’s so wonderful to see you!” She gave me a hug and I hugged her back with a small smile.

“It’s good to see you too Jadda.”

“I heard about your mother, I’m sorry.”

I gave her a sad smile. “Thanks.”

My grandfather looked over to my grandmother. “Why don’t you get the stuff that Kahlil left her?”

“Oh!” My grandmother got a look of recognition on her face. “Of course! I’ll be right back.” She disappeared into another part of the tent. I looked over at my grandfather, curious.

“Your father had left you some things in case something had happened to him, and after he died, with everything going on, I forgot to give it to you before you and your mother left the tribe.” He explained.

I nodded, understanding what he meant. It wasn’t long before my grandmother came back with the stuff and set it on a table. He pulled a little stuffed dog out of the box and held it out to me. “Remember this?”

“Taruh!” I took it gently. “I remember him; baba gave me him when I was 3.” I clutched the little stuffed dog to me. “I miss him.” I whispered softly.

“Oh, darling.” Jadda hugged me again while Jadd touched my arm for a moment. “We miss him too.” She murmured.

Jadd pulled out also a journal/book looking thing and an envelope as well. “In here, your father wrote down our family’s history and anything else that you would want to know, as well as a letter that he wrote you.” He handed me those. He also handed me a tiny box of trinkets and a couple other things and it wasn’t too long before we had to leave.

I hugged my grandmother again before we did. “I’ll keep in touch Jadda; I promise I’ll visit soon.” She nodded and gave me a smile.

Jadd and I walked back to the other’s and I placed the stuff that my grandfather had given me in my bag that I had hanging off Abrar’s saddle, including Taruh. “I take it that this is Abrar?”

I nodded with a small smile as I petted my horse’s neck before I swung onto his saddle. “Yeah, it is.”

He nodded. “He has grown into a fine stallion.”

Once my grandfather was settled, we left to go to the location that Rick had given Ardeth, only arriving about an hour or so later.

We arrived and I slid off of Abrar and handed the reins to my grandfather who was waiting by. “He’ll be fine, and he’ll be waiting for you when you get back.” He promised. I nodded as I put my bag over my shoulder. Then Ardeth and I walked over to my brother, cousins and another man I didn’t recognize.

“These are the commanders of the 12 tribes of the Medjai.” He looked back and called for the falcon. “Horus!”

“Pet bird.” Jonathan stated.

“My best and most clever friend.” He said, stroking the falcon. “He will let the commanders know of our progress so that they may follow.” He turned back to look at the commanders and wished them well, and then did the same before turning back around and leaving.

“If the Army of Anubis arises,” He turned to look at the others again. “they will do all they can to stop it.”

“Rick, ae you sure Izzy’s reliable?” Evy asked as we walked towards where we needed to go. I had gotten the rundown of my brother and his old friend.

“Yeah, yeah, he’s reliable-ish.”

I stopped once I saw what we would be riding in, raising my eyebrow. What the hell was that thing?

“Isn’t she beautiful?” I heard Izzy asked.

“It’s a balloon.” Rick stated.

“Oh! It’s a dirigible.” Izzy countered.

“Where’s your airplane?”

“Airplanes are a thing of the past.”

“Izzy, you were right.” I watched my brother and Izzy going back and forth.

“I was?”

“Yeah. You’re gonna get shot.” He got out his gun and pointed it at him.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa! She’s faster than she looks.” Izzy said. “And she’s quiet. Real quiet.” He stated. “Perfect for sneaking up on people, which is a very good thing.” Well, he had a point there.

“Unless, of course, we go with your approach barging in face-first, guns blazing and getting your friends shot in the ass!” He sounded very bitter about that. I gave my brother a questioning look, with an eyebrow raised, but he merely shrugged.

“Why can’t you people ever keep your feet on the ground?” Ardeth shook his head slightly. I gave a heavy sigh as we boarded and 15 minutes later, we were up in the air.

It wasn’t long before it was night, and I sat on the side, looking at the stars, sitting next to Ardeth and near Jonathan.

“O’Connell does not want to believe, but he flies like Horus towards his destiny.”

“Yes, yes, very interesting. Tell me some more about this gold pyramid.” Jonathan said. I rolled my eyes and shook my head at the antics of my cousin.

“Well, it is written at the time of the Scorpion King, no man who has laid eyes upon it has ever returned to tell the tale.”

“Where is all this stuff written?” Jonathan asked. “Hello.” He found the golden Spector and reached for it. “Got it.”

“Pretty nice, eh?” Jonathan asked. “This is all I have left in the world. The rest of my fortune was lost to some rather unscrupulous characters actually.”

I rolled my eyes at this statement, unscrupulous characters alright, more like gambled it away.

“But if the curator reacted the way you say, it must be very important.” Ardeth said. “If I were you, I would keep it close.”

“My friend, the gods couldn’t take this away from me.” Then Izzy took it back after a struggle with Jonathan. Ardeth found it amusing, but I just shook my head and looked back at the stars.


	5. Chapter Five

It had been a long night and just about every single night, I keep getting these weird dreams about Masika and Bomani were often in those. Some were good, and some were just sad.

_Masika assured him that he wouldn’t die, but he thought he would, but Masika refused to believe it. There had been a war and he had been injured, even more so than the last few times, she couldn’t do much now for him, other than trying to ease his pain and just be there for him. She wouldn’t let the children see him in that state, Bomani had asked her not to let them, this was not the way that he wanted them to remember him by, just in case he did die._

_She struggled to keep her tears at bay while she sat next to her husband’s cot, running her fingers through his hair, but failing miserably. She did not want to raise their three kids on her own, even if they were practically grown by now. Meskhenet was 16, she had gotten married last year, and was expecting their first grandchild, and their sons, Bes and Hasani were only 6 and 13. She had no clue on how to raise two boys, so she had to pray to every single god out there to keep him alive, just a little bit longer, she still needed him._

Then the dream shifted to another scene.

_A couple weeks had passed, and Masika had been able to have him moved from the sick wing to their room, as the royal physician that he may start to heal a bit faster in his own familiar surroundings, but he was very pleased with the way he was healing already._

_Masika went to check on Hasani, whom was fast asleep and then went to Bes’s room. She smiled at their youngest child and then turned to walk out when she heard his voice._

_“Mama, is papa going to be okay?” He asked. Masika walked over to her son._

_“He’ll be fine.” She assured him. “He just needs rest.” She said. “Give it time, he will be better.” She couldn’t say if he would be back to normal or not, because she didn’t know, this wound had been pretty serious._

_“Okay.” Bes nodded with a yawn._

_Masika smiled and kissed her son’s head before leaving his room. She walked down the hall and then entered the room that she shared with Bomani. She could see that he was awake. “How are the boys?” He asked softly._

_“They’re worried about you, we all are.” She murmured._

_Bomani sighed. “I’ll be fine.” He made a gesture for her to come to bed and she did so moments later, getting settled beside him gently. He wrapped an arm around her softly. “After I’m healed, I’ll be around for a long time.”_

Those dreams were really not letting me get much sleep. At all. It was quite annoying. I knew I wouldn’t be able to get back to sleep anytime soon, and I opened my eyes to find that it was just about nearing dawn. I could see that everyone was asleep, and I sat up very quietly, but apparently I wasn’t quiet enough, as I Ardeth say my name.

“Sorry.” I murmured softly. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”

He shook his head. “I was half awake anyway.” He whispered. “You can’t sleep?”

I hesitated, wondering whether or not I should tell him, but I decided to go ahead and tell him. “Well, not really.” I shook my head. “Ardeth, do you know an ancient Egyptian by the name of Masika?” I asked him, wondering if he would know anything about it.

Ardeth looked as if he was trying to remember something, before he nodded. “Yes, I believe so, back in the time of Pharaoh Seti I, she was the daughter of the head of the guard.” He said. “Is there anything in particular of why you asked?”

I told him of the dreams that I had been receiving, including the part of Bomani and how he had looked like him. And how I had looked like Masika.

Ardeth nodded. “I remember dreams like that in the past.” He said. “I believe you are familiar with the term of reincarnation?”

I nodded.

He gently took my hand. “It all makes sense now.” He said. And I knew what he was talking about. We were Masika and Bomani reincarnated, destined to find each other in each lifetime. We didn’t have time to talk much more about it because the others started waking up as the sun came out.

We had been travelling all day on this thing, not one stop or anything, and it was starting to get old, fast, but I couldn’t complain, at least this one was more stable than the airplane ride 9 years ago. That would be by far the worse ride ever.

It was getting dark, and Ardeth was standing near the side as Horus flew back and landed on his arm as I was flipping through the journal that my father had left me. “If a man does not embrace his past, he has no future.” He placed Horus down before he sat once more.

“Look, even if I was some sort of sacred Medjai, what good does that do me now?” Rick asked, fumbling with something, I wasn’t paying much attention.

“It is the missing piece of your heart.” Ardeth told him. “If you embrace it, if you accept it, you can do anything.”

“Sounds great. Listen.” He said. “What can we expect from our old friend Imhotep?”

“His powers are returning.” He said. “By the time he reaches Ahm Shere, even the Scorpion King won’t be able to stop him.”

I found a passage in a book that my grandfather had given me about a certain someone—or rather, certain people—and my eyes widened a bit at this information, and I turned to Ardeth and got his attention, and showed him the passage, and it was clear that he was just as surprised as I was.

He read over it before handing it back to me. “It’s interesting.” He told me in a low voice so my brother wouldn’t overhear. “How fate works, and how we were both still born into the Medjai even in this life.” He said softly as he put an arm around me.

All of a sudden, out of nowhere, Evy started screaming and caused me to jump slightly as she fell over the dirigible

“Evy!” Rick jumped after her, one hand hanging off the side. Ardeth and Jonathan went to help him. They finally got them both pulled back up and we all went to sit back down, me being between Ardeth and Evy.

“Evy, I know you haven’t exactly been yourself lately with all these dreams and visions…” Rick said.

“No, no, they’re memories from my previous life.” She said. “Honestly, I’m not losing my mind. It all makes perfect sense now.”

“And that’s the reason we found the bracelet?”

“Exactly. I was its protector.”

“Now do you believe, my friend?” Ardeth asked. “Clearly, you were destined to protect this woman.”

“Right. She’s a reincarnated Princess, and I’m a warrior for God.” Rick said, a hint of sarcasm.

“And your son leads the way to Ahm Shere. Three sides of the pyramid.” Ardeth stated. “This was all preordained thousands of years ago.”

“And how does the story end?” Evy asked.

“Only the journey’s written, not the destination.” He looked at me for a second.

“Convenient.” Rick said.

“How else do you explain Evy’s visions?” Ardeth tried to get through to Rick. “That it is your son who wears the bracelet? How do you explain your mark?”

“Coincidence.” Was Rick’s answer and I had to shake my head slightly. I personally didn’t believe in coincidences.

“My friend, there is a fine line between coincidence and fate.”


	6. Chapter Six

It had been a long ride from place to place and I was glad that I had that book on me. It answered several questions I had about my family. It was a very interesting piece of family history. It also gave a lot of information about my supposed past life as Masika, the daughter as the leader of the pharaoh’s bodyguard all those centuries ago.

The average textbook won’t tell much about Masika, other than the fact that she the daughter of a well famed guard and the princess’s close friend. In order to find out more about her, one would have to dig deeper into the ancient texts in order to find anything out. I couldn’t help reading that passage over and over again, seeing if I could find out any more clues, if there was something written between the lines that I had happened to miss.

_Masika was the third child and only daughter of the head of the guard, Jabari and his wife, Eshe. She had two older brothers and 5 younger brothers. Her mother died in childbirth with the youngest child, Adio, when she was only 13 years old. She stepped up and helped out with her younger brothers as much as she could. Jabari and his 8 children lived in the palace as well, so there were a lot of resources available and training for his sons._

_When the girl was 14 years old, she met and later fell in love with Bomani, a new young guard who had started working under her father. Masika was about 17 years old when she married him and less than a year later, gave birth to their first child, their only daughter whom they named Meskhenet. 3 years later, they had a son, Hasani, and finally, 7 years after Hasani’s birth, they had their third and last child, a son whom they gave the name of Bes._

_Bomani died before his wife did, at the age 49, from complications of his last battle 3 years prior and Masika died just 2 years after that, at the age of 50. The two had a total of 12 grandchildren and 35 great-grandchildren, and their legacy still loves on throughout the tribes of the Medjai to this very day._

Seeing as we were finally starting to slow down, I put the book up in my bag and prepared to get the day started, hoping that we would be getting more and more close in finding my nephew. Pretty soon, we reached Karnak and got off the balloon thing. While Rick and Ardeth checked the train that was suspiciously just sitting there, Evy and I went in the ruins to see what we could find.

It wasn’t long before I found a sandcastle (and I knew what it was too), and spotted Alex’s tie next to it. Smart kid. “Evy.” I looked over at her. “Check this out.”

Evy called for the others as she grabbed her son’s tie, and of course, knowing my brother, he came just a running, with his gun drawn. It was really so like him.

“Alex left us his tie, and he made up a little sandcastle.”

“What is it?” Rick asked.

“The Island of Philae.” I told him. “Once upon a time, it used to be the temple of Isis, back in the day. It’s in ruins now.” I explained.

“That-a-boy Alex.” Rick said. “Let’s go. Come on!”

We left Karnak and headed straight for Philae, which really wasn’t that far from Karnak, least not by air travel. Izzy was right, this thing was fast… I still didn’t like flying though.

At Philae, he left another clue, he had craved another image in the sand.

“The temple of Abu Simbel.” I whispered, just loud enough to be heard. At that point, Ardeth had let Horus go with a note to let the leaders know just where we were going. The next location, in which we were going, would take at least through the night to get there.


	7. Chapter Seven

I shouldn't be too surprised. By this nephew of mine. After all, he is the child of my brother, in fact, we should all probably be grateful that he isn't the kind of child that my brother was when he was young. I remembered the stories of what my mother had told me of my brother when he was a young child before I was born.

He was a smart kid, no doubt about that. And it was because Alex is my brother's kid that I knew he would be fine. Shaking my head, I looked over at our next stop, which was the temple of Abu Simbel. We found our next clue there, before flying back out.

"That's the Blue Nile down there." Rick pointed out as we flew over the river. "We must be out of Egypt by now."

"In ancient times, all this still belonged to the upper kingdom." Evy commented, which I had already knew about all of that history. "Which means the oasis must be somewhere around here." I murmured. I looked at Evy's face.

"As clever as he is, we'll find him."

All of a sudden, I heard what sounded like a rumble, similar to water, and as I allowed my eyes to wander over the horizon, my back to the others, my eyes widened. "Allah almighty." I murmured, taking a few instinct steps back.

"We're in trouble!" Izzy yelled, as he saw what I was seeing. Then we saw Imhotep's face in the water.

"Horus, fly!" Ardeth let the hawk fly off.

"Izzy, come hard right! Starboard! Starboard." Rick yelled at him, then we all braced for impact when made that hard turn. Then we got tossed to the other side. Then it seemed like we got away from him, as well all stood up.

"Something you forgot to mention?" Izzy panted, getting ahold of himself.

I looked at Jonathan, and then to what he was looking at. "Uh, people?" He voiced.

"Ahm Shere." I murmured softly as the others turned around.

"Right." Rick said, before we heard another rumble and turned back to look at what made that sound. We hadn't lost Imhotep.

"He's back." Izzy almost complained. "Hang on!" He yelled to us, as Ardeth took a hold to me so I wouldn't fall off.

"Well, that's not good." I heard Izzy say before the dirigible completely stop.

"Hang on!" Rick yell out as the water hit us in full force and we went down. Once we landed, there was smoke everywhere, and I shakily stood up.

"Are you okay?" Ardeth asked as I nodded.

"Yeah." With his help, I climbed off the dirigible. "This is why I don't like flying."

"We're going to get my son. Then we're gonna wanna get out of here fast, so make this work Izzy." Rick said as he and Ardeth started handing us the bags and supplies off the dirrgible.

"No, no, you don't understand, goddamn it. This thing was filled with gas. Not hot air. Gas." He said. "I need gas to get this thing off the ground." He looked at Rick. "Where am I gonna get gad from around here? Huh?" He shook his head. "Bananas? Mangos? Tarzan's ass?"

"If anybody can fill this thing up with hot air, Izzy, it's you."

I put my bag over my shoulder, and started to follow my brother as Ardeth called for Horus and sent another message, then he took up the rear.

"So Rick, what's the plan?" I heard Jonathan ask from behind me.

"Let's find some higher ground."

It wasn't even five minutes later before we heard a gunshot. I knew instantly what it was. Ardeth did too. Because he turned around. "Horus!"

Then he turned back to us. "I must go."

"Where?" Rick walked back over to him.

"I must let the commanders know where we are."

"You can't go."

"If the Army of Anubis arises..."

"I need you to help me find my son."

The three of us watched the transaction, waiting to hear what he would say. He nodded after a few moments. "Then first, I shall help you."

"Thank you."

They went up to the front of the line and he looked at me and touched my shoulder as we all got moving again. We were getting so close now.


	8. Chapter Eight

Night soon fell. And this place was creepy at night. I didn't have a very good feeling about this. Quite frankly, I would just be glad when all of this was over. There were skeletons everywhere, and I couldn't help but to grip my weapon. Ardeth noticed this and placed a hand on mine.

"This place just freaks me out." I muttered.

He nodded. "I get the same feeling."

Jonathan on the other hand was freaking out, and stayed close behind Rick and bumped into him from time to time. I snorted and rolled my eyes at my cousin's antics.

"Come on." Ardeth gently said to me, taking my hand so we could catch up with the others. Once we had got to a cliff area, that's when we set all of our supplies down and started cleaning weapons and getting guns ready.

I made sure my crossbow was ready to go.

"You hear that?" Rick asked.

"What?"

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing." Rick said. I hadn't been paying much attention to noises, but as I focused, I realized I hadn't heard anything in awhile, not even the sounds of nature. That wasn't anything good.

Meanwhile, Jonathan had been looking around our area. "I say chaps, look at this. Shrunken heads. "I'd love to know how they do that."

We all gave Jonathan a strange look.

"Just curious." He shrugged.

"Trust me." I shook my head. "You don't."

"Do so."

I raised an eyebrow at him. I shrugged. "Okay then." I told him. "First of all, they would have to remove the skull from the person's head. The skin and stuff is removed from the skull and they place red seeds in the eyelids before sewing the eyes and mouth shut. The flesh and head is boiled in water with herbs and then the head is dried with hot rocks and sand, while molding it to retain its human features. The skin is then rubbed down with charcoal ash." I informed him.

Jonathan looked almost sick. "You were right Aaliyah. I didn't want to know."

"Told you." I shrugged, going back to the crossbow.

He then picked up the other gun. "You any good with that?" Ardeth asked, walking over.

"Three times Fox and Hound's grand champion, I'll have you know." I rolled my eyes at that statement and shook my head, not looking up from what I was doing. "You any good with that?" He asked, in turn, to Ardeth.

"You'll know soon enough." I looked up when I heard Ardeth unsheathe his sword in a demonstration to Jonathan. "Because the only way to kill an Anubis warrior is by taking off its head."

"I'll remember that."

I stood up once I was satisfied that my crossbow was in working order. When Jonathan went back to looking around again, Ardeth looked at me. "You know this will probably the last time that I see you for a bit." He told me. "After this, I am going to let the commanders know where we are."

"I know." I nodded. I didn't like it, but I knew that he had to, if we had any chance at defeating Imhotep once again.

"And in that chance we don't see each other after this is over, I'll meet you in Cairo later."

"Okay." I nodded again. "Just, please, be careful."

He nodded. "I will." He said. "And I trust you'll do the same." I nodded and looked at him. And what he said next totally threw me off guard. "I love you." He said. "Remember that."

While it took me off guard, I didn't look shocked, like he probably would've expected me to. And I didn't have to think about it, because I already knew that I loved him too, I had figured that one out years ago. "I love you too."

He kissed me then too, something else that surprised me, but I kissed him back before pulling away, knowing that they had to go. Rick lightly hit Ardeth's shoulder and then they left. I watched them go with a sigh. I probably looked like I wanted to cry.

I felt Evy's hand on my shoulder. "It isn't easy is it?"

I shook my head. "No, it's not."

"They'll be fine. We just have to keep telling ourselves that." She murmured, going back to look over the cliff.

"C'mon cuz." Jonathan lightly put an arm over my shoulder and led me over to Evy where we watched, and waited for something to happen.

It wasn't long before we spotted people, and raised our weapons in preparations.

"Jonathan?" Evy looked at her older brother.

"Yes?"

"That's my husband and my son down there. Make me proud."

"Today's that day Evy." Evy crouched down and cocked her rifle.

We saw Rick and Ardeth joining in on the gunfight, and I raised my crossbow, putting my hand on the trigger, but not squeezing it, not yet. Something appeared to be dragging some of the men down. And when we saw other men surrounding Rick and Ardeth, is when we starting firing. We also saw Alex, and started firing at people in Rick's way of getting to him.

I spotted Lock-Nah fighting with Ardeth again. Another man seemed to be coming up behind him, and I shot at that man, taking him down. I scanned around the fighting men. I found myself holding my breath a bit, watching Ardeth and Lock-Nah. Ardeth had the upper hand and soon took down Lock-Nah, and just as soon as I started to let out my breath, another man started to hold up a gun to him. However, Jonathan fired a shot at him, taking him down and I was able to sigh in relief.

"Oh thank you Jonathan."

He just gave me a nod.

Everything started dying down, and Evy looked at us. "Let's go."

"Thank God for that." I followed Evy and Jonathan followed me.

Rick caught up with us and set Alex down, and Evy quickly wrapped him in a hug. I was relived to see my nephew, but I was still a bit worried about Ardeth, even though I shouldn't be. I knew that he could take care of himself. That I knew was something I could count on.

Rick seemed to notice that and wrapped an arm around my shoulder as he caught his breath. "He'll be fine Aaliyah." He said. "You and I both know that he can take care of himself."

"Yeah, I know." I nodded. "Just like I know you can take care of yourself." I looked at my older brother. "And that's something that Alex got from you."

My brother looked over at Jonathan. "Hey. Nice shootin' Tex."

My cousin nodded. "What were those creepy little pygmy things?"

"Just the local natives." Rick waved it off.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure. It was nothin'."

I raised a brow at that. "Nothing? Are you sure?"

However, my train of thought was interrupted by Alex. "Come on, Mom! Come on! Come on Dad!" He looked at us. "We have to get to the pyramid. I have to get the bracelet off now!"

"Oh, leave it on, Alex. Looks good on you." Jonathan said.

"No you guys! You don't understand!" He said. "He told me that the bracelet would kill me if I don't get inside the pyramid before the sun hits it!" He exclaimed. "Today!"

My eyes widened and I looked at my brother. "Rick..."

"Oh my god." Evy said, and I heard a screeching and turned around to see the pygmies. "And there are the local natives."

"Time to go!" Rick yelled and picked up Alex and started running.

"I thought you said it was nothing!" Jonathan yelled, following me.

"Where's Jonathan?" Evy asked, and I turned to look behind me and saw he wasn't there.

"He was just behind me." I said, but I turned back around and ran a bit faster.

We came across a fallen tree to cross over the water, and Rick waited until Alex, Evy and I went first, before taking up the rear.

"Wait for me!" I heard Jonathan yell.

"Hurry up Jonathan!" Both Evy and I yelled to him.

"Wait for me! What's that for?" He asked, noticing that Rick had a stick of dynamite in his hands. Knowing my brother, he probably had a trick up his sleeve.

"Ah nothin'. Just a little something in case of an emergency." He threw the lit dynamite to the pygmies, and one of them caught it. Then two of them started fighting over it, and the first one kicked the other one off the tree log. They got half way across the log before it went off.

"Rick." We all turned to look at what Evy noticed. It was the rising sun.

"Let's go Alex." Rick grabbed him and we started running again.


	9. Chapter Nine

Rick and Alex had made it into the pyramid by the time we caught up with them.

"They made it. Thank God." Evy said.

"Oh yes. Great. Fabulous." Jonathan said.

I however, wasn't paying attention to them, as I had noticed Imhotep and his lover arrive, and Anuck-Su-Namun walked over to Evy and stabbed her, I gasped and ran over to her. "Evy!"

"No!" I heard Rick yell and then I saw Imhotep throw Jonathan a couple feet.

Rick ran over and caught Evy as she fell. "Evy!" He looked back over towards Jonathan. "Jonathan!"

"Mom!" Alex followed Rick. "You're gonna be alright." He said. "Isn't she dad?" I wrapped my arms around my nephew.

"She'll be fine." Rick said. "She's going to be alright." He looked up at me. "Just get him... Take him. Take him."

I nodded and took my nephew off to the side with Jonathan. We watched as Rick talked to her, but it was clear that Evy died, and I wiped my eyes. Jonathan hugged both of us.

We stood there for the longest time before Rick stood and hugged Alex. "Stay here." Then he hugged me. "I want you to stay here too. Look after Alex." He said. "Please."

I nodded and hugged my brother back. "Of course I will." He looked at Jonathan and walked away, into the temple. And I put an arm around my nephew. "Everything will be fine." I murmured, not sure whom I was trying to convince, him, or myself.

"Try to think of it like this Alex." Jonathan started as we were sitting down. "She's gone to a better place. You know, like it says in the good book."

I hit Jonathan's shoulder. "Not helping." I looked pointedly at him.

"The book." Alex looked up.

"What?" Jonathan asked.

I sighed. "Alex."

"That's it." He said.

"That's what?"

"That's it. Come one, Uncle Jon." Alex said, pulling him up. "Come one Aunt Ali!" He looked at me. "Come on! Come on! That's it! The book!"

"What?"

I shook my head. Sometimes my cousin was clueless. He picked up Evy, and then we walked into the temple. Alex carried a torch, and I drew my sword, because you never know what could be lurking. "You realize of course, that this can only be done by someone who can actually read ancient Egyptian." Jonathan said. "I don't know about you, but I'm a tad rusty." I rolled my eyes at those words.

"Evy's been teaching him, and I can read it too." I informed him, as we stopped as the hall came to an end.

"Now where?" Jonathan asked.

"We go right." Alex said.

"How do you know?" I saw what the wall said. Kasheesh Osirian Nye. That told us which way to go.

"He's right." I said, taking my eyes off the wall, and looked at Jonathan.

"Kasheesh Osirian Nye." Alex said. He shrugged. "Basically, This way to the Scorpion King."

"This just might work." Jonathan said, following me and Alex.

Eventually, we came across the main area, and we saw none other than Anuck-Su-Namun. Jonathan set Evy down and cleared his throat. Coming into view of her. "It's time someone taught you a lesson, wench. Come on."

I sighed heavily and rolled my eyes, grabbing my sword out again, I knew I would have to come to Jonathan's rescue eventually. Even though I knew it was a distraction so that Alex could grab the book. "This is for my sister."

Watching that fight, I had to say was quite pathetic. She was beating him. But he finally managed to strike her, which shocked her. She then got a couple of weapons from a statue and Jonathan grabbed out the first thing he could find. The staff thing in his pocket. I shook my head. I stood in front of Alex and Evy, with my sword drawn, in case something was to happen.

When Alex started reading, she tried to come, but Jonathan distracted her, so she had to turn around to fight him.

"Uncle Jon, Aunt Ali! I don't know what this last symbol is!"

"What's it look like?"

"It's a bird! A stork!"

"I know that one! I know that one!" Jonathan said before I could answer.

"Then what is it?" Jonathan couldn't answer because Anuck-Su-Namun had attacked him again.

"It's Ahmenophus!" I told my nephew.

Alex finished up reading and I sensed something and turned around, still holding my sword, and I saw a light coming from Evy.

"Evy!" I looked at her. She gave me a nod before we looked at the fight between Anuck-Su-Namun and Jonathan. "Take Alex, and go help your brother." She told me. Anuck-Su-Namun had managed to cut him, and was about to finish him off before Evy intervened and grabbed her arm.

"Why don't you pick on someone your own size?" She looked at Jonathan. "Go with Aaliyah and Alex. Go and help Rick."

"But mom..." Alex complained.

"No buts Alex."

"Come on you two." I said, before going after to where my brother was. "She can defend herself."

"We did it Aunt Ali! We did it Uncle Jon!"

"Right partner. Now, let's go and help your dad."

"Rick!" We got there just a few minutes later.

"Jonathan!"

"Dad!"

"It's a spear!" He yelled. "The gold stick thing... It's a... It's a spear!"

"Really?" He looked at it. "Doesn't look like a spear!"

"That's because it opens up into one!"

"Yes? And?"

"Jonathan!"

"It opens up into a spear!"

We heard a roar and saw the Scorpion King. My eyes widened upon seeing him. "Oh... my... Allah." I murmured, stopping in my tracks and grabbed Alex from going any closer. Jonathan and Alex screamed. I grabbed my nephew and we got out of the way. My eyes widen when I saw that creature throw my brother across the room.

I looked at Jonathan and Alex arguing over how to open the spear. I rolled my eyes at them. "Give me that!" I took it away from them. I opened it and upon hearing Evy's words, handed it back to Jonathan to throw it. But as soon as he did, Imhotep caught it.

"Rick!" I called to my brother and alerted him to it. He saw it and leaped in and grabbed it before the throw could hit the creature. Rick was about to fall over the side, but he managed to stab the Scorpion King with it.

"Go to hell, and take your friends with you!" He yelled. He twisted it, and the Scorpion King dissipated. But then everything started shaking.

"We have to get out of here!" I yelled. "Come on Alex, Jonathan!"

"Dad!" We saw Rick hanging over the side.

"Get out of here!" Rick yelled to Evy. To us. But Evy ran over to him.

"Mom!"

"Hang on Rick." Jonathan yelled to him as I held my breath.

Evy finally reached him and pulled him up. I grabbed my nephew and ran with Jonathan on my heels once I saw my brother and Evy running back towards the exit. We got outside the temple, but the oasis was closing in on itself.

I looked up. "Up, we need to go up." I said. I secured my bag over my shoulder and started climbing up the pyramid. Once we got to the top, I reached it first, and Rick handed me Alex and I pulled him up, and once Rick was up, he helped Evy and Jonathan.

"Rick, we're trapped!" Evy said, looking around us.

I looked around us, at everything being sucked in. This was not the way that I wanted to go out. This was not on my list of exciting ways to die. Nothing would be short of a miracle to get us out of here alive.

"Hey!" We looked up and I was never more glad to see Izzy or that dirigible.

"Izzy!" Rick looked at him.

"Come on! Get your butts moving!" He said. "Hurry up! Hurry up! I haven't got all day!" He lowered down and Alex and Evy got on, and Rick moved me in front of him to get on and he and Jonathan hung on, but Jonathan started falling, until Rick caught him.

"Pull him up!"

"Pull me up!" Then something shiny caught his eye. "Wait, put me back down!"

"It's not worth your life, you idiot!"

"Yes it is! Yes it is!" However, he managed to grab it just as Izzy pulled us out of there. Jonathan screamed. "Pull me up! Pull me up!"

We got out of there in the nick of time.

Izzy made a victory sound. "O'Connell. You almost got me killed!"

"At least you didn't get shot."

"Izzy! Thank you!" Evy hugged him and kissed his cheek.

"O'Connell, who the hell you been messin' with this time?" He said, as I looked over the side over at the desert. "Huh?"

"Oh you know, the usual. Mummies, pygmies, big bugs."

I saw something- rather someone- on horseback as we flew over the desert and I smiled knowing who it was, and I felt so much more relief to see that he was alive. And I would see him back in Cairo soon. Just gave me something to look forward to.


End file.
